Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-06
WAVES OF CHINE.


Thoss Who from day 70 dag rad care
fuIIy ana bear In mind the general news
Of he ooantFy-espseiaily The news
editors Of the daily pres, Who Of necss
sfty observe every item Of news sttsn-
tivsiy-ars Invariably impressed With
ne jdea that crimes are nos tsoiatsd
svsats originating in the mind Ct the
criminal alone and due IN no asRFse 70
extraneous causes. seldom does Rrsss
crime oasuF aIons. when . dsed Of
unusual stsOoity, o. In any manner en-
traoEdinAEy IN IL nature. occurs, ID b
An almost IuVaFiabls rule thai others Of
similar mature viii follow IL.
This has eften besn explained on The
hypothesis that the 6rst crime suggests
The subasquent ones 10 the minds Of the
criminals. and thss sbs RsseEal dissent
nation Of nsws concerning crimes and
criminals tends 10 Increase rather than
10 diminish crime. This explanations,
however, ID inadequate. Humanity 4
iaitatiye IN lee crimes, a. IN all elae
and Il h doubtless tFus that the psFpe-
traitor Of Q crime By one individual
suggests its psFpetrasioa By another
There are, however. phsaonena which
this sxpIanatioa fails 70 rsaeA, and foI
which another must be sOuRht-ons
which. 10 may Be said. has never ysI
besn found.
Whsn, fer instance, Q teleRTsphie 80
count Of Q crime 81 Al unusual nature
is received 81 ths Ofios Of . Newspaper
IL may Be taken for granted thai IN
account Of crime similar IN nature
viii be resolved before morning. Thil
rule seldom fails. The two crimes mag
occur In localities separated By thoa.
sands Of miles, when Il 10 absOluaely
impossible that one may have suggested
the other. o. that there is any ordinary
connection between Them. II they Gre
connected, 10 is In some manner which
philosophy has thus far been unable u
explain; bat 10 h an unqussti0nAbls
fact that q crime IL seldom unaccsm.
pasted BY lie dOSble.
Again, criminals are not generally
great readers. Even II . few days d.
elapse between the commission Of {
crime In Massachusetts, aad the com
mission Of lie daplioats in Kansas, q
does net fellow that the one saeeesti
the other. The chances. indeed. ar
that the Kansas criminal never heard o
the Massachusetts, crime. All will 70
member the succession Of horribli
"iFunk murders" which startled tht
osuntry about two years ago. The hrs
Of these was committed ct the south
ern Hotel At 81. Louis, whsrs a young
Engiishman named PrelleF vas muir
deEed and packed in q trunk BY hi
companion. Folly q dozsn trunk hoF
FoFs followed this one. Ii became quit,
tbe costom for mnFdeFers 10 stow th,
bodies Of their victims away 10 trunks
and baggage handlers began 10 locl
with suspicion upon every trunk which
did not entirely conform 10 their ideas
The crime which IL the most Commol
al present IL one OF the most horrible
that can be conceived. /, Ia the murdel
Of women on lonely roads or in bousel
where they chance TO be alone. The
FIRST Of this horrible series was the mur.
der at Railway, NeW Jersey. aboat siI
weeks age, OF young woman Who has
never been identified. Similar crimes
have since occurred In various portions
OF the country. Jennie Bowman. q do.
asstio IN Louisville family, vas muir.
dered at MONDAY In the house Of heI
employer. Maggie Mccarthy vas muF.
dsred In the back yard Of her employ.
er's hoase at Cleveland. The New York
SHa Of April 27th reeOunts four attempts
al similar murders which occurred in
the single State Of New Jersey during
the three days preceding thai date.
II crime does really move In waves
this is the most horrible criminal wave
that has JET swept across our country.
Perhaps lax enforcement Of the Law in
the case Of one crime may account for
tbose which succeed IT, Maxwell, the st.
Louis trunk murderer. lie still unhuna
and the Railway murderer has never
been brought TO justice. Tue lenisnt jury
must invariably aOcept responsibility
from which the boldsst shoold shrink.
II one criminal is prSmptly dealt with
~ be deserves, crimes similar TO his are
Usually exceedingly rare. A prompt and
intelligent enforcement Of the lac is an
almost infAllible means Of aFrestine the
progress Of q wave Of crime.